Beauty of BALI - It is well before dawn in the paradise land of the Gods of Bali, Indonesia. As the sun approaches, the ladies of Bali are dutifully performing a morning ritual which has been the tradition since centuries past. To outsiders, it is but a simple day-to-day offering and morning preparation of food, but in the tradition of Bali, the “ngejot” offerings are so much more than that.

This morning ritual begins with the Balinese women rising well before dawn to prepare for ngejot. It is considered extremely impolite to eat before the ritual, so people will abstain from eating until the ritual is finished. The preparation begins at the same time the morning meal is prepared, and similarly as well – by boiling water and cooking rice.
The Balinese believes that “ngejot” will keep a harmonious relationship between the world of the humans and the world of the Gods, and as such it is a ritual that you would always see every morning in the houses of local Balinese. The ritual is prepared in the kitchen, a sacred place according to Balinese tradition, as well as the various tools used to prepare the ritual offerings.


Once the rice is cooked, it is then time to assemble the “nasi jotan” which will be used as prayer offerings. Using banana palm leaves cut into small squares, the rice is placed accordingly and on top of a traditional holy bamboo tray known as “kumarang”. Additional decoration are placed on top of these rice offering as a way to appease the Gods.
A Balinese lady will then prepare herself for the ritual – she must put on a “kamben”, a traditional Balinese sarong, worn with a “santeng” that is tied around their waist at the beginning of the ritual. The prayer offerings are to be palced around various points of the kitchen and areas of the house as an offering to the God, a way of saying thank you for keeping the harmony intact.
The ritual gives one an insight into the local culture of Bali, a place where religious mysticism abounds, and the magical often comes alive. The Balinese believes that a proper “ngejot” will help the kitchen become a source of protection, and will help repel negative energies or attacks from the world of the spirits.[Source]


Beauty of bali